Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated 2023 film, Oppenheimer, has already generated a lot of buzz and excitement, with a great deal of anticipation for what the acclaimed director has in store for this historical drama. His meticulous attention to detail as well as his knack for developing suspense and intrigue are on full display in this film, which makes it a must-see for any film lover.
And if there’s a particular moment in the film that has already caused quite a stir, it’s the Trinity Test. The first successful nuclear weapon detonation, known as the Trinity Test, occurred in New Mexico on July 16, 1945, and was a historic event. In typical Christopher Nolan fashion, he has recreated this monumental event with such authenticity and attention to detail that audiences have been stunned.
But here’s the kicker: the Trinity Test scene in the Cillian Murphy-starrer film is not CGI!
The Art of Illusion: Oppenheimer Achieved Movie Magic Without CGI?
With its iconic scene that tricked viewers into believing it was not the Trinity Test, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a cinematic masterpiece that should win an Oscar.
The scene in question is a key moment in the film, where Oppenheimer, played brilliantly by Cillian Murphy, is tasked with overseeing the testing of the atomic bomb. As the tension rises and the countdown begins, Nolan expertly weaves together a sequence of shots and sound effects that keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
What is even more impressive is that he did this without using computer-generated imagery or CGI.
In order to film their recreation of the Trinity Test, which was the first nuclear weapon detonation ever in 1945, the Oppenheimer team had to figure out how to create something that mimicked an atomic explosion. They employed forced perspective, an antiquated technique in filmmaking, to achieve this.
When the explosion is filmed at close range and reduced in size, it creates an optical illusion that makes the reaction appear larger than it actually is. The film’s supervisor of special effects, Scott Fisher, gave a clear explanation of this to SYFY:
“We do them as big as we possibly can, but we do reduce the scale so it’s manageable. It’s getting it closer to the camera, and doing it as big as you can in the environment.”
Together with visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson, Fisher created a coded formula to simulate the flash of light and the ensuing fiery red plumes of an atomic explosion. Also, Fisher and production designer Ruth De Jong constructed a life-sized model of an atomic bomb for the movie, which the actors could speak and interact with during filming, according to an Entertainment Weekly panel.
How Oppenheimer’s Nuclear Bomb Explosion Was Recreated Without Using CGI?
Cinephiles support every move Christopher Nolan makes. The director does everything he can to live up to everyone’s expectations of him. With Oppenheimer, he outperformed himself, masterfully capturing the appearance of a nuclear explosion devoid of computer-generated imagery. In an interview with Total Film (GamesRadar), Nolan said that this project proved to be more challenging than the others he had previously worked on:
“I had Andrew Jackson, my visual effect’s supervisor, on board from the early stages. We explored practical approaches to capture various visual elements in the film, ranging from representing quantum dynamics and physics to recreating the Trinity test itself. My team and I also tackled the task of recreating Los Alamos on a mesa in New Mexico, facing extraordinary weather conditions. These practical challenges were crucial for the film’s authenticity.”
It is clear from earlier interviews with Nolan that he wants to show the terrible consequences of an atomic bomb in this film. Because CGI is “comfortable to look at”, he told The Hollywood Reporter, it would not feel real enough to frighten the audience.
We can’t deny that among the most notable films and performances of 2023, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer stands out as a remarkable work of cinema. This film defies our preconceived ideas about what a movie can be and pushes the bounds of storytelling. And for that reason, it should win an Oscar—if only for that iconic scene that led us all to believe it was not the Trinity Test!
For the unversed, Oppenheimer picked up thirteen nominations for the 96th Academy Awards.
Check out Oppenheimer’s Trinity Test scene now on Peacock Premium!
